ks1 mathematical problem solving

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Problem solving

Resources to teach problem solving skills

This collection of teaching resources aims to help children develop maths problem solving skills. It features word problems, maths challenges, problem-solving questions and a variety of worksheets and problem solving activities to help your primary school learners develop the problem solving strategies for real life contexts.

Why teach problem solving skills?

Problem solving is a skill that involves a variety of mathematical skills that will help children in real life. From addition and subtraction to fractions, decimals and percentages, we need problem-solving strategies to solve day-to-day problems involving time, money and measurement. Problem solving is an integral strand of the KS2 maths curriculum and children will be tested on their problem-solving skills in their SATs and onwards.

Have you seen our teaching packs for problem solving in maths?

If you’re teaching upper key stage 2, you may like our problem-solving teaching packs: Problem solving - number and Problem solving – measurement, geometry and statistics . Both packs comprise scaffolded word problems and differentiated activities based upon the relevant problem-solving objectives in the national curriculum. Or you may prefer Challenging maths , packed with maths mastery style questions, word problems and games to enrich your maths lessons and turn your year 5/6 class into true problem solvers!

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Fun Maths Activities and Investigations for KS1 and KS2 in Primary School

Anantha Anilkumar

Over the years, we’ve created lots of different fun maths activities and investigations to add to primary teachers’ toolboxes. Some of these maths activities mirror our online one to one maths tutoring programme, while others are more suitable for whole class teaching. We share here as part of our continual support for KS1 and KS2 teachers working in UK classrooms.

The purpose of these numeracy activities, especially the event-based ones, is three-fold:

1. To support you, the teacher, with problem solving and reasoning questions (with answers) and save you writing your own. 

2. To give learners the opportunity to see more everyday maths in context, and experiences of how maths reasoning really matters in the real world. 3. To add some variety and relevance to the maths lesson slides, questions and worksheets you may be doing with your class every day. We love what the White Rose maths hub resources provide in terms of weekly planning, but sometimes we may be looking for some more exciting, hands-on and fun maths activities, whether for Year 1 or Year 6.

Topical Maths Activities For The Term

Maths investigations linked to key calendar dates this term, designed to develop reasoning and problem solving in your pupils

Some of you may question the place that fun has in a child’s education , and whether fun maths lessons will achieve the long term goal of retention and retrieval. While we’ve all had a class which requires an upbeat tempo of fun games as part of their learning process, many children will experience cognitive overload if important new maths concepts are introduced through a game. You will know your pupils best in this context. 

The majority of maths activities and investigations shared below use a fun concept or relevant idea to develop children’s number sense, fluency, reasoning and problem solving skills in the pursuit of learning maths.

Follow the links below to find out more about the kind of maths activities and maths investigations we’ve got available to you.

Fun maths activities KS2 (with some KS1 in there too)

Fun outdoor maths activities 13 flexible and fun activities to do outside, many of which can be adapted for early years to Year 6; most of these involve some kind of physical activity and fine motor skill development, as well as treasure hunts for angles, ways to incorporate data handling, graphs and measurement into the school fair, and using mathematical skills to make mathematical connections to nature. 

Fun back to school maths activities teaching ideas to help you get back in the groove of maths lessons after a long summer break. These are summer maths activities the whole class can get involved in, some practising quick mental maths skills, others involving more complex reasoning, plus the odd card game maths activity as well.  

Fun end of term maths activities : We all know that by the end of the summer term the atmosphere in class tends to get a bit overexcitable. Here are some ideas to harness that excitement into some fun and lively maths investigations that recap children’s knowledge from across their year’s work from 2d shapes to averages and algebra.

Fun maths games for kids at home : This might almost be our favourite collection – one to hand out to parents for homework and homeschool; it includes home-made board games, fun ways to practise times tables and lost of fun games that help children with their maths skills and require only a pencil, a piece of paper and a pack of playing cards to get going. Essential for anyone undertaking any kind of home learning with their children. 

We’ve also now extended our maths games collections to include KS1 maths games , KS2 maths games , and even KS3 maths games .

Fun maths lessons for KS2 : a collection of our favourite fun maths lessons, suitable for Year 3 to Year 6 (ideal for after SATs) which include human bar charts, sharing 3D shapes, and planning the teacher’s next holiday! 

Fun maths starters KS2 : 15 of the best maths starters to help you introduce a new topic, consolidate previous work, or just to use as part of a maths meeting with your class, improving their mental maths – includes a printable version to use in school. 

Fun SATs revision games : Even 11-year-olds need a break sometimes, so we asked some fantastic teachers on Twitter what their favourite top tips for keeping SATs revision fun were, and here’s your answer – loads of great ideas in here for anyone teaching Year 6 .  Fun maths club activities : Provided you’re armed with some creative, open ended, and ideally practical maths club activities to give children, maths clubs are not nearly as hard to set up and run as you might first imagine. The benefits are manifold; this article has all you need to get started including several really fun group games specially designed for primary school maths clubs.

Fun maths investigations for topical events

KS2 maths investigations : For many years now, Third Space has been creating maths investigations for Year 6. We’ve now adapted them to be suitable across KS2. In the main, these tend to be open ended maths investigations, focused around key events in the primary school calendar. Some of these are also slightly shorter activities but they all require pupils to do extensive problem solving and reasoning based around events in everyday life. Here are some favourite KS2 maths problems solving investigations from each term:

Here’s our complete list of topical maths investigations for year 5 and year 6.

Autumn Term maths investigations year 6 and year 5

• Autumn maths activities
• Halloween maths activities
• Bonfire Night maths activities
• Christmas maths activities and Christmas maths quiz

Spring Term maths investigations year 6 and year 5

• Heart Month Months activities
• Shrove Tuesday Maths activities
• Pancake Day Maths activities
• World Book Day Maths activities
• International Women’s Day Maths activities
• British Science Week Maths activities
• Holi Maths activities
• Easter/Lent Maths activities

Summer term maths investigations year 6 and year 5

• Share-a-Story Month activities
• FA Cup Maths activities
• Walk to School Week activities
• Ramadan Maths activities
• Child Safety Week activities

And if that’s not enough we’ve even got  maths activities  for Year 5 and Year 6 for events you’re likely to celebrate in primary school but don’t come round every year… 

• Red Nose Day Maths activities
• World Cup Maths activities
• Election Maths
• Jubilee Maths activities

Mixed ability maths investigations

We know most of you now teach mixed ability maths classes so something we’re often asked for is year 6 maths activities with a low threshold high ceiling . Take a look at these open ended maths investigations for Year 6 and the rest of Key Stage 2. You’ll also be able to download one of our favourite free teaching resources – 8 low threshold high ceiling activities including the famous fox chicken grain puzzle. 

We’ve also collected the best KS2 maths challenges here for any of your pupils who are working at greater depth in KS2 maths and need further extension in your maths lessons.

Holiday maths activities

We all know about the summer brain drain and how easily children forget what we’ve taught them but it can be difficult to know what to do about it. These summer holiday maths activities were created with parents in mind, you can also use these KS1 and KS2 holiday maths activities to give your pupils lots of fun maths challenges to do over the holidays. 

• Year 3 holiday homework: Don’t Forget Your Maths Pack Year 2 to Year 3
• Year 4 holiday homework: Don’t Forget Your Maths Pack Year 3 to Year 4
• Year 5 holiday homework: Don’t Forget Your Maths Pack Year 4  to Year 5
• Year 6 holiday homework: Don’t Forget Your Maths Pack Year 5 to Year 6

National curriculum maths activities for KS1 and KS2

The final way we’ve organised our KS2 maths activities for you is by national curriculum topic. We’ll continue to add to this section so bookmark this page and check back if it’s useful. Get started:

• 35 times tables games
• KS1 and KS2 place value games and activities  
• 3 minute number facts activity  

DO YOU HAVE PUPILS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

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Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn about the emphasis on building a positive maths mindset or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

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FREE 12 Maths Club Activities for Primary Schools (Years 1 to 6)

A collection of games and activities to make maths enjoyable in a primary school maths club!

Minimal resources are needed for each activity.

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KS1 maths curriculum: the ultimate guide

Explore the whole KS1 maths curriculum, including the topics covered and when children learn about them

Author Lucy Hart

Last updated: July 3rd, 2023

KS1 maths curriculum: the ultimate guide​

Explore the whole KS1 maths curriculum, including the topics covered and when children learn about them!

Last updated: July 4, 2023

In this article

Learn all about the topics covered in the KS1 maths curriculum! J ump to:

Overview of the KS1 maths curriculum

Number: number and place value, number: addition and subtraction, number: multiplication and division, number: fractions, measurement, geometry: properties of shapes, geometry: position and direction.

Table of contents

Maths is a truly amazing subject. Not only is it invaluable for school, but it can also help learners develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills!  

With this in mind, understanding the KS1 maths curriculum is a great way to support your child’s learning journey.  So in this guide, we’ll explore the KS1 maths curriculum, including what topics children learn and when. Let’s get started!  

The KS1 maths curriculum covers a variety of topics that are designed to develop each child’s mathematical knowledge and give them the skills they need for KS2. 

As outlined by the national curriculum , t hese topics are:  

• Number: number and place value  
• Number: addition and subtraction  
• Number: fractions 
• Measurement  
• Geometry: properties of shapes  
• Geometry: position and direction  
• Statistics  

Now, let’s explore each area in a little more detail!

As numbers form the foundation of mathematical problems, understanding what they are and how to use them is really important.  

In the KS1 maths curriculum, children learn to count, read, write and represent numbers up to 100. They also learn how to compare numbers and use the place value system.  

• Count to and across 100, forwards and backwards, from any given number  
• Count, read and write numbers up to 100 in numerals  
• Read and write numbers from 1 to 20 in numerals and words  
• Count in multiples of twos, fives and tens  
• Identify one more and one less than a given number  
• Identify and represent numbers using objects and visual representations  
• Use the following language: ‘equal to’, ‘more than’, ‘less than’, ‘most’ and ‘least’  
• Count in steps of 2, 3 and 5 from 0, and in 10s from any number, forward and backwards
• Recognise the place value of each digit in a two-digit number  
• Identify, represent and estimate numbers using different representations  
• Compare and order numbers from 0 to 100, using <, > and = signs  
• Read and write numbers to 100 in numerals and in words  
• Use place value and number facts to solve problems  

Number and place value activities

• Count and spot numbers in everyday situations, like counting steps or toys  
• Use items from around the house to help your child visualise numbers and place value, such as LEGO bricks  

Addition and subtraction are key when it comes to problem solving.  

In KS1 maths, children learn various strategies for mental and written addition and subtraction. They also explore number bonds, counting techniques and inverse operations.  

• Read, write and interpret statements involving addition, subtraction and = signs  
• Represent and use number bonds and subtraction facts within 20  
• Add and subtract one-digit and two-digit numbers to 20, including zero  
• Solve one-step and missing number problems that involve addition and subtraction, using objects and pictorial representations  

Solve problems with addition and subtraction:  

• using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those representing numbers, quantities and measures  
• applying their knowledge of mental and written method
• Recall and use addition and subtraction facts to 20, and use related facts up to 100

Add and subtract numbers using concrete objects, pictorial representations and mentally, including:  

• a two-digit number and ones  
• a two-digit number and tens  
• two two-digit numbers  
• adding three one-digit numbers    
• Show that addition of two numbers can be done in any order and subtraction of one number from another can’t  

Tips to explore addition and subtraction:  

• Play card and dice games that involve adding and subtracting numbers  

Explore the KS1 maths curriculum with DoodleMaths

Looking for ways to bring the KS1 math curriculum to life? If so, DoodleMaths  is here to help!  

Created by our team of teachers, DoodleMaths is an award-winning app that’s filled with interactive questions and games that explore all KS1 maths topics.  

Designed to be used ‘little and often’, it creates every child a unique learning experience tailored to their needs, boosting their confidence and ability in maths. And best of all, you can try it for free !  

In the KS1 maths curriculum, children build on their knowledge of addition and subtraction by exploring multiplication and division.  

As part of this, they learn how to solve problems using multiplication and division facts, arrays and pictorial representations.  

• Solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division by calculating the answer using concrete objects, pictorial representations and arrays  
• Recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers  
• Calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the x, ÷ and = signs  
• Show that multiplication of two numbers can be done in any order and division of one number by another can’t   
• Solve problems involving multiplication and division, using arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts

More on multiplication and division

• Easy ways to learn times tables
• The best order to learn times tables
• Why learning times tables is important

Fractions are another important skill that children explore in the KS1 maths curriculum. 

Not only can they be used in the classroom, but they’re also very handy for real life!  

• Recognise, find and name a half as one of two equal parts of an object, shape or quantity  
• Recognise, find, name and write fractions 1/3, 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity  
• Write simple fractions and recognise the equivalence of 2/4 and 1/2

Tips for learning fractions:  

• Encourage your child to arrange real-life quantities into different fractions, such as pizza or apple slices  

Measurement involves comparing a variety of different attributes, such as length, capacity and time.  

In the KS1 maths curriculum, children learn how to use appropriate units, estimate measurements and read scales.  

Compare, describe and solve problems for:  

• lengths and heights  
• mass/weight  
• capacity and volume  

Measure and begin to record the following:  

• Lengths and heights  
• Mass/weight  
• Capacity and volume  
• Recognise and know the value of different denominations of coins and notes  
• Sequence events in chronological order
• Recognise and use language relating to days of the week, months and years  
• Use appropriate units to estimate and measure length, mass, temperature and capacity to the nearest unit using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels  
• Compare and order lengths, mass, volume and record the results using >, < and =  
• Recognise and use symbols for pounds and pence  
• Combine amounts to make a particular value  
• Find different combinations of coins that equal the same amounts of money  
• Solve simple problems in a practical context involving addition and subtraction of money of the same unit  
• Compare and sequence intervals of time  
• Write the time to five minutes and draw the hands on a clock face to show these times  
• Know the number of minutes in an hour and the number of hours in a day  

Tips for learning about measurement:  

Geometry teaches learners all about 2D and 3D shapes, including symmetry, position and direction. 

They explore the fundamentals of shapes in the KS1 maths curriculum, including how to recognise and name different types of shapes.

Recognise and name common 2D and 3D shapes, including:  

• 2D shapes (such as rectangles, circles and triangles)  
• 3D shapes (such as cuboids, pyramids and spheres)
• Identify and describe the properties of 2D shapes  
• Identify and describe the properties of 3D shapes  
• Identify 2D shapes on the surface of 3D shapes  
• Compare and sort common 2D and 3D shapes and everyday objects

Tips for learning about properties of shapes:  

• Use building blocks or Playdough to create and explore different shapes together  
• Take walks and hunt for shapes in the environment

With a firm knowledge of position and direction, your child will not only be able to navigate the maths curriculum, but it’ll also help them with real-life orientation!  

• Order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences  

Tips for learning about geometry and direction:  

Data detectives, assemble! In the KS1 curriculum, children learn how to collect, organise and interpret data.  

They also explore how to gather information, create graphs and interpret data using pictograms, tally charts and block graphs.  

• Interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and tables  
• Ask and answer questions by counting the number of objects in a category and sorting the categories by quantity  
• Ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data  
• Interpret and present data using bar charts, pictograms and tables  

Tips for learning about statistics:  

• Conduct simple surveys or polls at home or in the classroom and create graphs to represent the data  

In summary...

And there we have it – a complete guide to the KS1 maths curriculum! With this handy summary to refer back to, you’re all set to support your child’s mathematical adventure.

Finally, if you’re looking for ways to bring the curriculum to life, DoodleMaths has you covered.  

With interactive activities to enjoy, educational games to play and rewards to unlock, your child will always look forward to maths practice – and you can try it for free !  

Meet DoodleMaths, the app that's proven to boost ability in maths!

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Reasoning and Problem Solving Questions Collection - KS1 and KS2

Subject: Mathematics

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

10 March 2023

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These booklets each contain over 40 reasoning and problem solving questions suitable for KS1, KS2 and KS3 classes. These are the questions that we have been putting out each day in March 2016 on Twitter in the run up to SATS.

The answers are provided with some simple notes at the back of the booklet and for some problems supplementary questions and variation has been provided.

As always we welcome any feedback on the work we are doing and the materials that we are releasing. Thank you for taking an interest in our work. The White Rose Maths Hub Team

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KS1 and KS2 Maths – Problem solving

• Author: Mike Askew
• Main Subject: CPD
• Subject: Maths
• Date Posted: 20 June 2012

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If children use well worn techniques to solve problems without understanding or modelling the context, their maths skills won't fully evolve

Children, from birth, are proficient problem solvers. By the age of two or three they have solved what are probably life’s two biggest problems - how to walk and how to talk. As they get older they solve practical problems, such as sharing a bag of sweets fairly with others, long before they’ve heard of division. In this article, I look at how we can build on this natural propensity to solve problems in teaching mathematics.

Routine and non-routine problems

Routine problems are problems children know how to solve based on their previous experiences. The sort of thinking required by routine problems can be described as reproductive: the child only needs to recall or reproduce a procedure or method they have previously learnt. A problem like ‘Apples’, for example (see below), is likely to be a routine problem for most children at the upper end of primary school; they know to multiply the two numbers together without having to think deeply about what operation to use.

• Apples on a supermarket shelf are in bags of eight. • If Jane buys six bags, how many apples is that?

In contrast, non-routine problems are where the learner does not immediately have a solution tucked under his belt. The problem solver has to put some effort into understanding the problem and creating, rather than recalling, a solution strategy. Non-routine problems engage learners in productive thinking.

We often think of non-routine problems as needing to be unusual or not having, to us as adults, an immediately obvious method of solution. ‘Stamps’ is typical of this type of non-routine problem.

• Clearing out a desk draw I found a collection of 5p and 6p stamps. • I have a parcel to post that needs 58p worth of stamps on it. • Can I create this exactly using the stamps I found? • If so, is there more than one way of doing this?

In choosing problems to work with, we need to decide whether or not we think a problem will be routine or non-routine for the particular children working on it. In the rest of this article, the problems chosen are being treated as though they are non-routine problems for the children working on them. That’s not to say that I don’t think routine problems have a place in the curriculum - they do. Here, however, I want to deal with some of the issues around teaching and learning non-routine problems.

The importance of context

• Four hungry girls share three pizzas equally. • Eight hungry boys share six pizzas equally. • Does each girl get more pizza than each boy, less or the same?

As a routine problem, the ‘story’ of pizzas and hungry children doesn’t serve any real purpose: children quickly learn to disregard the context, to strip out the mathematics and to work some procedure. The problem could just as easily have been put in the context of builders sharing bricks and many learners would happily say each builder would get 3/4 of a brick, without stopping to question the near impossibility of sharing out bricks.

We can, however, treat ‘Pizzas’ as a non-routine problem and use it to introduce children to thinking about fractions and equivalences. The context of hungry children and pizzas then becomes important. It is not chosen simply to be window-dressing for a fraction calculation. Nor are pizzas chosen because children are intrinsically motivated by food, making the unpalatable topic of fractions digestible. No, the context s chosen because children know about fair shares and slicing up pizzas - they can solve this problem without any formal knowledge of fractions. As the researcher Terezhina Nunes once pointed out, young children would not be able to solve the ‘bald’ calculation 3 divided by 4 but, “show me four young children who, given three bars of chocolate to share out fairly, hand the bars back saying ‘it can’t be done.”

Children have ‘action schemas’ for solving problem like ‘Pizzas’ - they can find ways to solve this with objects, pictures, diagrams and, eventually, symbols. Teaching can then build on the children’s informal solutions to draw out the formal mathematics of fractions. From being one of 20 ‘problems’ on a worksheet to complete in a lesson, ‘Pizzas’ can become a ‘rich task’ taking up the best part of a lesson, if children work on it in pairs and carefully selected solutions are then shared with the class.

Creating mathematical models

Part of the productive thinking in working on rich, non-routine problems requires children to create mathematical models, and we can teach to support this.

• At the supermarket Myprice, milk costs £1.08 per litre. • This is 7 pence less per litre than milk costs at Locost. • How much does 5 litres of milk cost at Locost?

What is missing from this approach is attention to setting up an appropriate model of the problem. Ultimately this could be a mental model of the problem context, but it helps initially to encourage children to put something on paper that can be shared and discussed. In problems involving quantities, like ‘Milk’, simple bar diagrams can help children create the appropriate model. These help children examine the relationships between the quantities (as opposed to simply fixing on specific numbers and keywords).

Setting up a diagrammatic model begins with creating a representation of what is known in the situation. In this example, we know milk at Myprice costs £1.08, so a diagram for this would look like:

MYPRICE £1.08

This provides the basis for talking about what the picture for the price of milk at Locost is going to be. Will the bar be longer or shorter? Where is the bar for the 7 pence to be drawn?

Two different models can be set up and children asked to describe the relationship between the prices at the two supermarkets, to see which diagram fits with the information in the problem. If the diagram for the price at Locost is shorter by 7, then two statements can be made:

MYPRICE £1.08p LOCOST     7p

• Myprice milk costs 7 pence more than milk at Locost.

• Locost milk costs 7 pence less than milk at Myprice.

In comparison, making the bar for milk at Locost longer by 7 gives different comparative statements:

MYPRICE £1.08p 7p LOCOST    

• Myprice milk costs 7 pence less than milk at Locost.

• Locost milk costs 7 pence more than milk at Myprice.

Children can then talk about which of these situations fits with the wording in the problem.

Having established that Locost milk must be £1.15 a litre, children can go on to produce the bar diagram model for this.

Supporting non-routine problem solving

Where the problems were played out as non-routine, three factors identified are worth noting. First, in choosing the tasks, the teachers made sure they would build on learners’ prior knowledge - as I suggest a problem like ‘Pizzas’ can. Second, in contrast to focusing on getting the answer, the researchers observed what they called ‘sustained pressure for explanation and meaning’. In other words, the teachers pressed for children to explain what and why they were doing what they were doing rather than simply focusing on whether or not they had got the correct answer. Third, the amount of time children were allowed to work on the problem was neither too long or too short: children need enough time to ‘get into’ a problem, but too much time can lead to a loss of engagement.

Share good practice

Gather together a collection of problems covering all the years of education in your school (or ask teachers to each contribute two or three problems).

Working together in small groups, teachers sort the problems into three groups:

1. Problems they think would be routine for the children they teach 2. Problems they think would be non-routine for their children 3. Problems they think would be much too difficult for their age group

Everyone agrees to try out a problem from group 2 with their class. Discuss how too much focus on getting the answer can reduce the challenge and stress the importance of pressing children to explain their working. At a subsequent meeting, people report back, focusing in particular on strategies they used to keep the problem solving non-routine.

About the author

Mike Askew is Professor of Primary Education at Monash University, Melbourne. Until recently, he was Professor of Mathematics Education at King’s College, University and Director of BEAM.

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Using Questioning to Stimulate Mathematical Thinking

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Problem Solving

Problem-solving lessons offer the perfect opportunity for your class to use and apply their knowledge and understanding of different mathematical concepts. Logic or skills-based lessons help your children become fluent, reason mathematically and become able to solve problems creatively. 

More Multiplication and Division

Using the fun theme of going on holiday, this ‘More Multiplication and Division’ scheme of work will challenge your class to use short and long mul...

Let's Calculate

This Year 5 Maths scheme of work will give your class the chance to consolidate their understanding of the four operations and help them to use eac...

What's the Answer?

Challenge children to apply their knowledge of all four operations to solve a variety of problems with these Year 2 word problems and problem-solvi...

Proportion Problems

Challenge children to become fraction problem-solving experts! Identify equivalent fractions, add and subtract fractions and round decimals to sign...

Multiplication Problems

Multiplication Problems for Year 3 is all about problem-solving and developing methods for multiplying. It includes a detailed teaching inputs and ...

Let's solve place value problems

This Year 2 'Let's solve place value problems' scheme of work is a great way to familiarise your class with numbers to one hundred. By the end of t...

Let’s Solve Problems

Use a variety of addition and subtraction methods to solve problems and check calculations.   #TheCompleteSeries5lessons This Year 2 problem-solvin...

Solving Data Problems

Get technical with your class as they learn how to read, interpret and construct a variety of charts and graphs. This ‘Solving Data Problems’ schem...

Let's Solve Missing Number Problems

This Year 1 'Let's solve missing number problems!' scheme of work includes engaging activities with which children can improve their addition and s...

FREE Sample Lesson: Coin Conundrum

Is your class ready to solve a coin conundrum? In this fun, engaging lesson, children will learn how to use their reasoning skills to solve puzzles...

The BFG Brain Teasers

This BFG Brain Teasers slide show is FREE to download! Challenge your children to use their literacy and maths skills to solve the different puzzle...

Roman Numerals Finishing Equations

Download these free, fun puzzles to challenge your children's knowledge and understanding of Roman numerals! Check out our other Roman numerals KS2...

Make a Square! Multiplication Game

Download a FREE differentiated maths puzzle to help your class practise their multiplication skills! For more times table resources check out our f...

Stone Age Caveman Conundrum Number Puzzle

Challenge your children to solve this Stone Age Caveman Conundrum Number Puzzle! Requiring only simply addition skills, this puzzle will test their...

KS2 Roman Numeral Sudoku Puzzle

Challenge your KS2 class to solve this sudoku puzzle... using Roman numerals! Take a look at our other Roman numerals KS2 resources, including a se...

Position Games and Puzzles

These free downloadable Position and Direction Games for KS1 are a good way to encourage your children to read and follow positional language.

Maths Puzzle KS2

Use this Maths Puzzle for KS2 to challenge your children to use their reasoning skills to find the answers using the information already given. Are...

Big Numbers Puzzle

Use this puzzle to help your class practise reading, writing and comparing large numbers with up to eight digits! You might also want to check out ...

Missing Operation Puzzle

Challenge your class to identify whether an add, subtract, divide or multiply symbol is needed with this free Missing Operation Puzzle! Have a look...

Maths Picture Puzzle

Instantly download and print this FREE Maths Picture Puzzle and challenge your class to find the answers!

Futoshiki KS2 Maths Puzzles

Download these FREE Futoshiki KS2 Maths Puzzles and challenge your children to use their reasoning skills to solve them! You might want to take a l...

FREE Sample Lesson: Target Number Challenge

This one-off Maths lesson is a great way of helping your class use what they know about number and calculations to solve problems. They will be giv...

Vikings Brain Teasers

FREE to download, these Viking Riddles and Brain Teasers challenge your UKS2 children to use their literacy, maths and memory skills to solve a ran...

Space Brain Teasers

Download this FREE Space Brain Teasers slide show and challenge your UKS2 children to solve the problems and puzzles using their numeracy, literacy...

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Exploring Problem-Solving in Early Years Mathematics | EYFS/KS1

This webinar will provide headteachers, mathematics leads, teachers and teaching assistants with practical guidance and methods they can use to nurture and develop pupils’ problem-solving skills in early years and KS1 mathematics.

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Webinar Duration: 46 minutes (approx.)

This webinar will provide headteachers, mathematics leads, teachers and teaching assistants with practical guidance and methods they can use to nurture and develop pupils’ problem-solving skills in maths.

Problem-solving has long been at the heart of the mathematics curriculum. Teaching children how to problem solve in mathematics can support children’s ability to critically evaluate, encourage independence and develop their skills in reasoning and creativity. It is also an essential part of developing mastery of the subject.

In this webinar the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM), who aim to support the teaching and learning of mathematics in the UK, will explore strategies that schools can use to approach problem-solving in maths with the youngest pupils which are creative and engaging and reflect a better understanding of the needs of the learner.

• Understanding how to introduce learning and problem solving in mathematics which supports children’s ability to problem solve and improve critical thinking skills.
• Recognising successful techniques that can be used in the classroom which improve reasoning in mathematics.
• Appreciating the importance of making maths problem-solving learning tailored towards the needs of children and ensuring continuous sharing and evaluation of different methods used.
• Understanding what is meant by ‘problem-solving skills’ and how to nurture an environment which encourages curiosity and positive attitudes.
• Building a culture which supports teaching and learning through playing and exploring, active learning and creative and critical thinking.

Since 1994, Helen has been an independent educational consultant specialising in developing the teaching and learning of primary mathematics. In July 2014, she completed her doctorate with the University of Roehampton, London. She is interested in engaging all learners mathematically, and how we might nurture effective and supportive learning communities in classrooms in a current educational climate geared to high-stakes testing. Helen is passionate about all children being given opportunities to become confident mathematical thinkers, through the establishment of a classroom culture that nurtures curious learners.

Helen has taught children across the full primary range and has a particular interest and expertise in early years and KS1 mathematics. Her work involves researching and teaching mathematics alongside colleagues in school and contributing to in-service training courses and conferences. Helen is a long-term, active member of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics (ATM).

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: mathify: evaluating large language models on mathematical problem solving tasks.

Abstract: The rapid progress in the field of natural language processing (NLP) systems and the expansion of large language models (LLMs) have opened up numerous opportunities in the field of education and instructional methods. These advancements offer the potential for tailored learning experiences and immediate feedback, all delivered through accessible and cost-effective services. One notable application area for this technological advancement is in the realm of solving mathematical problems. Mathematical problem-solving not only requires the ability to decipher complex problem statements but also the skill to perform precise arithmetic calculations at each step of the problem-solving process. However, the evaluation of the arithmetic capabilities of large language models remains an area that has received relatively little attention. In response, we introduce an extensive mathematics dataset called "MathQuest" sourced from the 11th and 12th standard Mathematics NCERT textbooks. This dataset encompasses mathematical challenges of varying complexity and covers a wide range of mathematical concepts. Utilizing this dataset, we conduct fine-tuning experiments with three prominent LLMs: LLaMA-2, WizardMath, and MAmmoTH. These fine-tuned models serve as benchmarks for evaluating their performance on our dataset. Our experiments reveal that among the three models, MAmmoTH-13B emerges as the most proficient, achieving the highest level of competence in solving the presented mathematical problems. Consequently, MAmmoTH-13B establishes itself as a robust and dependable benchmark for addressing NCERT mathematics problems.

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